Machinery for handling blow-pipes in glass-working



.2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

R. GRAY. Machinery for Handling Blow-Pipes in Glass-Working.

No. 223,726; Patented I an.

R WH Inventor;

orneys,

. l/ Hfv'tnesses 2Sheets-Sheet 2. R.' GRAY. Machinery fnrHand l'ing Blow-Pipes in G-lass-Wprking'.

No. 223,726, Pat ented JaO, 1880.

WITNESSES: W%

fizzy-M 11V VEN TOR N. PETERS, PHOTO-LITHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON, D C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RALPH GRAY, OF FAYETTE CITY, PENNSYLVANIA.

MACHINERY FOR HANDLING BLOW-PIPES IN GLASS-WORKING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 223,726, dated January 20, 1880.

' Application filed September 15, 1879.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, RALPH GRAY, of Fayette City, in the county of Fayette and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machinery for Handling Blow-Pipes in the Manufacture of Blown Glass; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the.

invention, such. as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use it, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification, and in which-- Figure 1 is a side elevation of the apparatus r 5 complete. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the device for supporting the blow-pipe. Fig. 3 is a 1ongitudinal section of part of the same. Figs. 4 and 5 are details.

This invention relates to devices for taking the weight off of the operator in making'cylinders of glass, so that he can make larger sizes than are now possible, and with but little labor.

My invention consists in the novel con- 2 5' struction, combination, and arrangement of devices, as hereinafter described and specifically claimed.

I construct an elevated railway, A, at a suitable height, and running from either the melting or warming-in furnace straight outwardly. Upon this railway rides a truck, B, from which projects downwardly a rigid hanger, G, or bracket. A catch, a, projects from the truck B, which is held in position by a spring, and

3 5 is provided with an operating handle or cord,

11, extending down within reach of the operator. A stop, D, having a cushioning-spring, s, is set above the track, consisting of a rod having the inclined lug c and the stud d, both 0. in the track 'of the catch a.

When the gather or ball is run back from the furnace the proper distance, catch a runs past lug cand is caught between it and stud d, thus retaining the truck B and hanger (J in a fixed posit-ion. To release them in order to approach the furnace, the handle I) is pulled and the catch a is disengaged.

Through a bearing in thelower end of hanger O passesa shaft, (2, to which is rigidly attached an arm, f, having a sliding counter-weight, E,

provided with any ordinary means of adjustment to any desired radius. On shaft 0, at the other side of hanger O, is fixed a bar, F, whose main portion g projects in a direction opposite that of arm f, but has a portion, 71 projecting in the same direction. At the end of portion h of bar F are two holes, and in these slide pins i 41, which carry a slotted or bifurcated frame, G, in each of the legs of which are set two friction-rollers, 70 k, as shown.

The upper part of the blow-pipe is inserted in the slot by forcing it between the two opposite rollers; or one of them may have a yield ing bearing. The rollers then permit the rotation of the blow-pipe, and the pins i 6 permit it to be moved laterally while rotating.

The lower end of the blow-pipe is held as follows: It hasnear the bottom a round collar,

1. Projecting from the end of part 9 of the arm F, similarly to frame G, is a frame, H, in two parts, hinged together at the outer end, and each cut away to form a central opening when closed together. The suspending-arm m of frame H is rounded, as is the projection n of its swinging half, and a sliding sleeve, p, locks the two together.

Sleeve 12 is operated by lever q and arm 1", as shown, and may be fitted with a spring to force it into locking position for convenience.

Frame H has three or more grooved rollers, t, set so as to bear upon the collar lof the blow-pipe when inserted, thus allowing free rotation while preventing any endwise movement of the pipe.

The whole apparatus is ranged along and partly suspended over the pit, and at such'a height that when a cylinder or ball is swingingvertically in the pit the mouthpiece will be in convenient position for blowing while manipulating. H

The devices are used as follows: I will suppose the gathering to be done. The weight of the pipe and ball are known, and the counterweight E is adjusted so as to balance as nearly as possible the combined weight of the swing- 5 ing devices, the pipe, and the ball. Lever q is worked to release the frame H, which is then opened and collar Z of pipe inserted,the frame shut and locked, and the upper part of pipe is inserted in frame G. The workman has no Weight to carry at all, and no muscular effort to make, except to overcomethe inertia of the apparatus. The rolling truck enables him to easily push the ball into the arming-in furnace and draw it out, after which he causes the catch a to secure the whole, when he is free to manipulate the ball into a cylinder.

Shaft 6 allows swinging in a vertical plane to 7 lower into the pit or throw aloft.

Pins it permit a lateral movement of the pipe and the truck longitudinal movement to allow' the thrust sometimes necessary to shape the cylinder.

I am thus able to give the glass any of the motions required for successful manipulation, and during any one of them I can readily rotatethe ball or cylinder. It is therefore obvious that much arduous labor is avoided;

and since the Weight is adjustably countered I can easily handle weights of fifty, seventyfive, or one hundred pounds, or more-a result which is practically impossible of accomplishment by the hand process.

What I claim as my invention is 1. An apparatus adapted to support the blow-pipe and ball or gather in glass-working, journaled horizontally, and provided with ret-aining-clasps to carry the pipe and an adjustable counter-balance on the side of the journal opposite said ball or gather, as set forth.

2. The combination, with Ways A and truck B, of the cushioned stop D, having lugs c and stud d, and the spring-catch a, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, with the bar F, sliding sleeve 19, suspending-arm m, and projection 12, of the lever q, substantially as described and shown.

4. The combination, with the bifurcated frame Gr, pins 15, and bar F, of the lever q, substantially as described.

' In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 25th day of August, 1879.

RALPH GRAY.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM McORoRY, WILsoN MoORoRY. 

